Logging apparatus



Nov. 4, 1924. 1,514,219

T. s. MILLER ET AL LOGGING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l my ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

Luigia STATES PATENT OFFICE;

THOMAS SPENCER Hinter., or soUrH ensues, AND .iosnrH H. nrcHrNsoN, or MONT# orarie, New JERSEY.

tossine arrenarus.

Application led August 2, 1922. Seri-a1 No. 579,141.

To LZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS SPENCER MILLER and JosnrH H. DroHINsoN, citizens of the United States, and residents of South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of f the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in logging apparatus of that character or type embodying a car or platform supported on running wheels adapted to' travel on track rails, which platform supports logging means by which logs are hauled, decked, etc.

- ln Patent No. 914,441, already granted to us, is disclosed a logging apparatus embodying a single platform mounted on wheeled trucks, and carrying at each end an elevated structure, over which pass loghauling lines operated by independent en- O'ines supplied with steam from a single l boiler. The structure just described has certain practical objections. For example, with thc single car platform it is necessary to have a rigid platform as long as feet in order to carry the engines and a boiler of the necessary size, and to have the ends of the platform overhang the trucks in order to provide room for the masts or booms. The overhanging ends under the strains of logging act as a spring-board, which results in the gears and bearings being thrown out of proper mesh and alinement. Again, the lines passing over the two skidding booms fixed to one platform, frequently are operated in opposite directions, thus producing serious twists, loosening the foundation bolts and resulting in a destructive effect on the platform and engine. y

The primary object of our present inven-l tion is to provide a structure by which the objections heretofore mentioned areobviated, and to this end, the invention consists in the improvements to be more fullyL described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

We have fully and clearly illustrated our invention in the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein Figure 1 is a view, side elevation, of a structure embodying our invenyincluding sheaves 11, over which pass skidding lines tion; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; F ig. 8 is a View, in side elevation, partly in section, of a propelling means, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 1, 2 designate, respectively, two platforms, each of which embodies a horizontal member of any construction suitable for the purpose. These platforms are preferably oblong in plan and arranged end to end, as clearly shown. Each of these platforms is supported on wheeled trucks y3, preferably of the four-wheeled type, the

bolster 4 of the outer end of each truck being arranged under the portion of the platform directly under the skidding boom end, so that the load is distributed on the platforms between the points of support on the trucks. The wheels of the trucks are adapted to travel on suitable track rails 5` rlhe inner ends of the platforms are flexibly connected bya suitable joint or coupling o, which may be of any well known form which will ypermit a relative movement between the platforms, either laterally or vertically, and will permit one to rock or twist without communicating such movement tothe other.y ln the form shown, the coupling comprises inter-engaging plates 6a secured toy the respective platforms, they plates being pivotally connected together by a pin 6b, it being understood that sufiicient play betweenthe parts is provided toy provide the relative movement above referred to. The coupling may, if desired, be of a' i more or less permanent character, as shown, as it is unnecessary to uncouple the platforms under usual conditions. Y

At the outer end of each platform, and preferably over the truck bolster 4, ispivoted, as at 7, an elevated structure in the form of an'A-boom 8, at the upper end of which is pivoted, as at 9, a swinging block frame or stub-boom 10, to which is hung, in any suitable manner, a plurality of sheaves, oppositely disposed skidding 12, wound on drums 13 of an engine 14 supported on the platform adjacent the base of the boom 8. The engines 14 may be of any suitable type known in theart for logging purposes, for example, the Lidgerwood,'

and vneed not ybe described in detail here.

Each boom `may also have hung thereto sheaves over Which pass guy lines 16, the outer ends of Which are connected to points of the platform, for example, to stumps,

While the inner ends are Wound on guy drums 17 operated by the engine 14 in a Well known manner.

On the platform 2 is arranged a steam boiler 18 of any suitable type to supply steam to the cylinders 14a of the engines 14. The boiler is connected lby a Jpipe 19 With the throttle (not shown) of the engine on platform 2, and said boiler is provided With a pipe 20 connected by a flexible hose 21 to a pipe 22 leading` to the throttle (not shown) of the other engine. The boiler is prefer bly located adjacent the inner end of the platform 2.

On the platform 1, adjacent the inner end thereof, is a Water tank 25, to contain the Watersupply for the boiler.

By `the construction described, We are able to employ a duplex logging apparatus, and supply the engines for the same with the necessary steam, and, at the same time, provide a structure in Which the strains to which one `logging apparatus is subjected will not be communicated to the'other,` this advantage arising from the employment of a flexible joint or coupling between the platforms.

By employing tWo fienibly connected platforms, we are, in fact, enabled to employ a longer total length than heretofore, which affords ample space for supporting the various elements of the logging apparatus, for example, each of the platforms may be twenty-five feet in length, making an approximate over-all length of fifty feet, but, at the same time, the apparatus ipv-ill easily accommodate itself. to inequalities in the road-'bed and to curves in the track.

A furthernadvantag'e resides in the fact that the platforms may each be supported on tWo four-Wheeled trucks, which assures a more even distribution of the total load upon the Wheels and the trackway than is possible where it is necessary -to support the entire load on a single platform resting on tvvo six- Wheeled trucks.

l/Ve may, if desired, propel the improved `apparatus by driving the truck Wheels on one of the platforms from the engine on that platform. The engine includes a gear carryinga sprocket 25 connected by a chain 26 to a. sprocket 27 fast on a shaft 28 entending-transversely of the platform at a point between the trucks, a similar shaft 28l preferably being located adjacent toy said shaft 2S and connected thereto through gears 29. Sleeves 29a and 29b are loosely mounted on the respective shafts, and are operated there-y from through suitable clutch members 30a and 30h. By operating one clutch member or the other the vehicle may be propelled in either direction, as is obvious, the arrange- 'ient being particularly useful Where a non-reversible engine is used. It Will, of course, be understood that suitable coupling members are interposed between the engine and the car propulsion means, so that the latter may oe connected and disconnected vat will. The same constitutes no plart of our present invention and, for thatvreaso'n, we have not illustrated the same.

`Wliat `We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A log skidding apparatus comprising latforms arranO'e-d end to end and flez'tibl connected together, Wheeled trucks supporting the ends of each of said platforms and adapted to ytravel on track rails, a skid,- ding structure mounted on the outer end of each platform, a skidding engine associated 1with each skidding structure at the same end of the platform, a logging line lextending from each engine over the associated Skidding structure, and a steam boiler mounted on the inner end portion of one of saidplatforms and `connections for supplying steam from said boiler-toeach of said engines, the load mounted on said trucks being ldistributed between the points of support :of said trucks. i

2. A log skidding apparatus comprising platforms arranged end to end :and flexibly connected together, Wheeled trucks support'- ing` the ends of each of said platforms Aand adapted to travel on track rails, an elevated skidding structure mounted on .the outer end of each platform, a 'skidding engi-ne associated with each skiddingfstructure at the same end of the platform, a `'logging line .extending from each engine-over the lassociatetl skidding structure, 'i and a steam boiler mounted on the inner end portion of oneof said plat-forms and connections for supplying steam vfrom said boiler to each of fsaid engines, the load mounted on said trucks 'being distributed between thepoint's of support of said trucks.

THOliAS SPENCER ILLER. JOSEPH H. DICKNSON.

Witnesses:

M. V. DicKINscN, JOHN P. GILL. 

